Lunar Polar Power Mast: A Scalable Ridge-Mounted Solar Base Architecture for Near-Continuous Lunar South Pole Energy and Ice Resource Operations
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866902032401563648 |
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| author | JAGGARD, SAMUEL |
| author_facet | JAGGARD, SAMUEL |
| contents | <p>The Lunar Polar Power Mast, or LPPM, is a proposed lunar south pole infrastructure concept that integrates a ridge-mounted vertical solar power mast, counterbalanced rotating solar-array arms, ring-bearing rotation nodes, a permanent base hub, access roads, remote landing logistics, power transmission corridors, and secondary crater-edge mining camps.</p> <p> </p> <p>The concept is designed around the unique illumination geometry of the lunar poles, where the Sun remains low on the horizon and selected ridges may experience extended sunlight while nearby permanently shadowed craters may contain water ice. LPPM extends existing vertical solar array principles into a scalable settlement architecture, progressing from 10–20 m demonstrator systems to 50 m permanent ridge towers and 100 m megawatt-class masts.</p> <p> </p> <p>A mature 100 m system is estimated to produce approximately 1.1–1.9 MW under favourable assumptions, with a working estimate of 1.5 MW. This paper presents the concept architecture, power estimates, scaling pathway, engineering risks, demonstrator mission profile, and potential role in future lunar base and in-situ resource utilisation operations.</p> <p>Keywords</p> <p>Lunar South Pole; Lunar Power; Vertical Solar Array; Lunar Polar Power Mast; LPPM; Space Infrastructure; ISRU; Water Ice Mining; Lunar Base; Solar Tracking; Polar Illumination; Planetary Energy Systems; Ridge-Mounted Solar Tower; Artemis; Moon Infrastructure; Lunar Settlement; Space Solar Power; Surface Power Systems; Regolith Construction; Crater Mining; Permanently Shadowed Regions</p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_20349871 |
| institution | Zenodo |
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| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
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| spellingShingle | Lunar Polar Power Mast: A Scalable Ridge-Mounted Solar Base Architecture for Near-Continuous Lunar South Pole Energy and Ice Resource Operations JAGGARD, SAMUEL Space Infrastructure Space (interplanetary) Space Research Moon Solar physics Solar astronomy Solar collector <p>The Lunar Polar Power Mast, or LPPM, is a proposed lunar south pole infrastructure concept that integrates a ridge-mounted vertical solar power mast, counterbalanced rotating solar-array arms, ring-bearing rotation nodes, a permanent base hub, access roads, remote landing logistics, power transmission corridors, and secondary crater-edge mining camps.</p> <p> </p> <p>The concept is designed around the unique illumination geometry of the lunar poles, where the Sun remains low on the horizon and selected ridges may experience extended sunlight while nearby permanently shadowed craters may contain water ice. LPPM extends existing vertical solar array principles into a scalable settlement architecture, progressing from 10–20 m demonstrator systems to 50 m permanent ridge towers and 100 m megawatt-class masts.</p> <p> </p> <p>A mature 100 m system is estimated to produce approximately 1.1–1.9 MW under favourable assumptions, with a working estimate of 1.5 MW. This paper presents the concept architecture, power estimates, scaling pathway, engineering risks, demonstrator mission profile, and potential role in future lunar base and in-situ resource utilisation operations.</p> <p>Keywords</p> <p>Lunar South Pole; Lunar Power; Vertical Solar Array; Lunar Polar Power Mast; LPPM; Space Infrastructure; ISRU; Water Ice Mining; Lunar Base; Solar Tracking; Polar Illumination; Planetary Energy Systems; Ridge-Mounted Solar Tower; Artemis; Moon Infrastructure; Lunar Settlement; Space Solar Power; Surface Power Systems; Regolith Construction; Crater Mining; Permanently Shadowed Regions</p> |
| title | Lunar Polar Power Mast: A Scalable Ridge-Mounted Solar Base Architecture for Near-Continuous Lunar South Pole Energy and Ice Resource Operations |
| topic | Space Infrastructure Space (interplanetary) Space Research Moon Solar physics Solar astronomy Solar collector |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20349871 |